Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-11

/ THE ELABORATE CHRISTENING CEREMONIES NECES-
| sARY FOR A GOTHAM INFANT.
New York Letter in Hartford Courant
| Fashionable babies are chriStened at home now
| a-days. Monday afternoon, at 4 O'Clock sharp, a
number Of ladies and gentlemen OF the ton were
| gathered In an uptown draw1ng-room. In the
center OF the salon stood small table decorated
| with smilax and white rosebuds, and bearing a
| repousse silver bowl The clergyman and the god
parents took their places; the door opened and a
Oustling parsonage in stiff black silk appeared,
bearing bundle OF white lace and a very large
White satin sash, somewhere in the folds OF which
was hidden the extremely small, red specimen
who was about to renOunce the pOmpS and van1-
ties OF this wicked world.
After the ceremony the little Christian disap-
peared and the doors were thrown open for the
slight refreShment demanded at that hour. The
table Was decorated with large oval mirror,
around which was massed a bank OF moss and
Sn1aX, with center OF COrnelia COOK rOSebudS;
at every plate was placed a little white basket,
lined with silk and bound with soft white ribbon
the ends painted in Old gold letters with the date
and the maine OF the small hostess, which, luckily
for her, was that sweetest OF all vowel cOnbina-
tons. Alice" These baskets were filled with
French mignOnnette and .'tea" buds. Caudle was
first served in small pink cups, on which we're
painted medallion OF babys head.
But the feature of the entertainment was babies
In ice-cream, frozen stiff and fast, like so many
little dolls and resting ON nests OF spun glass. No.
body had the heart 10 eat them, or we should be
able TO satisfy the curiosity awakened by Dean
Swift, VINO, you will remember, always felt he
would like 10 have had a taste OF a tender young
infant. and gave great Ofense TO the reviewers by
recommending them article OF diet. When
we were leaving each guest was presented with
small box filled with white almonds (Which go
with chrlSteningS as naturally as DO caudle and
raionS) and big artificial rose white to the ladies
and red TO the gentlemen. Hanging from the stalk
were three small foreign gold coins, and in the
with "Altce" engraved on its back. The god
parents got blue roses and gold image.
Remarkable Weather Those Years,
From the Chicago Herald
smiling, scrawny- bearded old man stood on
the front end OF a west-bOund Madison-st car late
Saturday afternoon. His only companion was the
driver.
"We're goin' to have wind tO-morrer,- said the
old man with sni1ie. ''See how red the sky is in
the west. That's sure sign Of wind and plenty
on 1t, too. 1t may come afOre midnight"
The driver leaned one arm on the brake and
turned round with serious lace.
Its comm from the or'weSt, too" he said with
much gravity, as he squtnted his owlish eyes at
the blazing horizon. '.Ive seen those things afore
now, and the wind allus comes from that mint
when the sky is red Dye see the dust 60 up spraI
fashion over there by the curb? Well. that's q
nuther sign. That's sign that the wind Is going
more"
ave seen anuther sign, too" SMILED the old
man, taking a fresh chew OF tobacco .'Have you
noticed the amount of waddin' the sparrerS are
putin inter their nests this year? That's a sure
indication that It's going to be cold spring. The
last time seen the sparrer5 lugg1n' bedQuifts and
seasons in the year. 1t was winter until July,
then there were three months OF spring, and
then 1t was winter again All the garden truck
that was planted didn't come up until the fOlerin'
year, when the fruit trees bore two crops"
"That was some time ago, wasn't it," asked the
driver, with wise look.
eyes, yes several years ago-nigh onto forty,
reckon" replied the old man.
Then there's been more winters than summers
In this country, eh?"
'.No;" bout fourteen years arter that noticed
that the Sparrers built two nests instead OF one.
These nests were jined together by little avenoOs
OF dried grass. The she sparrer would hatch
brood in one nest, and then walk through the
ayenoo TO the other nest and go ter hatchin again.
while the he bird would tend ter the youngsters in
the nrsL nest The season was so long that the
sparrers Matched from May ter May and that's
the reason why We've got so many sparrers TO-
day."
Then there was no winter that year," whis-
pered the driver.
''NOt flake" replied the old man.
When the driver reached the barn he told the
starter that he guessed he had better lay of the
rest OF the day. There had been two remarkable
changes In the weather on his last TRIP he said.
and he was afraid that unless he went right home
he would come down with something worse than
the smallpox.
C<ay~ r